Apparatus for clarifying fluids



May 24, 1949. PAGE 2,470,943

APPARATUS FOR CLARIFYING FLUIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 14, 1945 INVENTOR. Bruno Page ATTORNEY May 24, 1949.

Filed Dec. 14, 1.945

' B. PAGE APPARATUS FOR CLARIFYING FLUIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

. fizz/No PA GE ATTORNEY.

Patented May 24, 1949 UNITED STATS TENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR CLARIFYING FLUIDS Application December 14, 1945, Serial No. 634,935

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an apparatus for storing and dispensing Whole blood after it is collected from a donor and more particularly to a device for removing clots or other solid matter from the blood While being dispensed from a container to the vein of a patient.

Similar devices of this nature have in general been mounted in various ways at different points in the tubular connecting equipment to remove clots and other formations which inevitably occur in the blood after being stored in containers for any substantial period. The complete elimination of all solid matter from the blood prior to infusion is of critical importance because the entering of even minute particles of solid material into the blood stream can produce fatal results. While effective to an extent in removing solid material from the stream of fluid the practice of mounting strainers in the restricted outlet passages often results in the strainers becoming rapidl clogged causing frequent interruptions in the transfusion process for cleaning and replacing the filter. Moreover, large clots forming within the container frequently will not clear the end of the outlet passage and tend to form a plug or partition across the end of the passage resulting in complete stoppage of flow. In some cases the end of the outlet passage was formed so as to extend a short distance into the container providing a sump thereabout into which the larger clots settled so that only the fluid relatively free of clots reached the outlet passage. This produced only a temporary solu tion to the problem because the clots from blood which had been stored for a substantial period quickly exhausted the capacity of the sump.

In order to overcome the above difiiculties it was proposed to mount the filter Within the container by means of a concentric flange formed about the open end of the filter which was clamped between the stopper flange and the mouth of the bottle. This arrangement necessitated the use of a plurality of joints which were diflicult to seal so as to Withstand the high autoclaving pressure to which the containers must be subjected during sterilization.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for administering blood which will be free of all the disadvantages mentioned hereinabove.

It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus for collecting and administering fluids in a closed system i. e., one in which the container closure is not removed for the dispensing operation.

It is a further object of the invention to pro vide an apparatus for administering clarifying fluids and in which a filter device is so disposed with relationship to the other elements of the equipment as to not interfere with the sealing of the container and which may be sterilized with the container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a blood filtering device having an adequate filtering area which does not become clogged during the transfusion.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means for mounting the strainer in a receptacle so as to be of maximum efficiency in filtering the blood.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means for conveniently and securely positioning the filtering device relative to the closure within a receptacle for blood.

A further object of the invention is to provide a filtering device which is inoperatively disposed within the container and is automatically extended to the operative position by the insertion of an instrument into the container for withdrawing the fluid contents.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which is inexpensive, easily assembled and conveniently manipulated by an unskilled operator.

Further objects and advantages of the construction of the apparatus if not specifically pointed out will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon recourse to the following detailed description of what is at present considered the preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the apparatus with the lower portion of the container broken away and with some parts shown in section in order to illustrate their construction more clear- 37;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental view partly in section of an endless tubing assembly intended to be used with the apparatus of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 but converted for the dispensing operation.

Fig. a is an elevational view partly in section of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 5 shows the device of Fig. 4 inverted and connected with the tubing assembly of Fig. 2.

Figs. 6, '7 and 8 are detail views of elements forming a part of the apparatus shown in Figs. 42 and 5.

As shown more particularly in Figure 1 the device comprises a container 20 having a deformable stopper 2| of rubber or other material which includes a body portion under compression to form a seal with the container mouth and an outwardly extending flange 22 which seats on the upper end of the container mouth. The stopper 2! has an opening 23 which extends from the inner end of the stopper to a point near the outer surface thereof where it is closed by a relatively thin wall 26 which separates the opening from a depression 25 formed within the top of the stopper. A vent tube 25 is snugly sealed within the opening 13 for admission of air to permit withdrawal. of the containers contents. Further openings of the type provided by elements 23, 2 and 25 (not shown) are formed in the stopper to facilitate the initial collection of blood from a donor. A fluid withdrawal opening 21 extends from the inner face to a point below the upper surface of the stopper where it is closed by a thin wall 28 which separates the opening from an indentation 29 formed in the top of the stopper. The opening 2? is formed with a bead 3!) near the lower end. A circular groove 3| formed in the body of the stopper 2i concentric with the opening 27 receives a pair of concentric cylindrical elements 32 and 33 formed of metal, plastic or other suitable material which expand the Walls of groove 3! so as to grip and irictionally support the ring formed by said cylindrical elements 32 and 33 in the stopper. The elements 32 and 33 are telescoped together to clamp and firmly support the open end of a strainer 34, formed of nylon or other material, the thickness of which is somewhat greater than the width of the concentric space between the rings 32 and 33. As shown in the drawings the lower end of the strainer 34 is secured in any suitable manner to a plastic button 35 said button being provided with a stem 36 which has a groove 3'! adapted to cooperate with the bead 3 3 when the stem 36 is moved into the opening 21 in the stopper 2!. A coil spring 38 in the position shown in Figure 1 is maintained under a degree of compression which alone is insulficient to break the frictional engagement between stem 35 and the deformable stopper 2i.

As shown in Figure 2 a connector member 39 has a tapered end 40 which is adapted for insertion into the fluid Withdrawal opening 21. The connector 2'! also has a central opening 4| which terminates in a drip nozzle 42, and a transparent chamber 33 for observing the infusion rate. The connector 39 is secured to a rubber tube 6 3 for communicating the fluid to a needle which may be inserted into the adaptor when the container contents is administered. A short section of tubing 45 protects the adaptor and connector from contamination until used. A clamp 4'5 is carried by the tubing i l in order to control the fiow of fluid from the container.

The apparatus just described is usually assembled with a quantity of a citrate compound in the container and then subjected to sterilization preferably with high pressure steam in an autoclave. The filter is stetrilized at the same time as the container contents with the result that the whole assembly is sealed in a sterile condition within the container until it reaches the hands of a physician.

In using the apparatus a third opening (not shown) in the stopper is penetrated with a suitable needle and the blood collected while rotating the container. When the blood is administered in transfusion, the diaphragm 2 3 is punctured by a suitable hollow needle and the tapered end of the connector 39 is inserted in the opening 27 until the stem 36 is released from engagement with the bead The filter then automatically moves to the extended position by the action of spring 38.

An important advantage results from the method of mounting the filter within the container as the container stopper is allowed to perhis form its usual sealing function and need not be removed before the dispensing operation. The closed system provided by this arrangement protects the elements of the apparatus from contamination from the exterior.

Figures 4 to 8 inclusive depict a modified form of the invention in which the filter 5B is mounted and frictionally supported in the groove 3| on the bottom of the stopper 2! by means of a rigid cage-like member 5i of metal, plastic or other suitable material formed at one end with a slightly enlarged cylindrical section 52 and at the opposite end with a domed portion 53. The supporting member Si is formed with longitudinal openings 54 for passage of the filtered blood as it fiows to the outlet passage 27. A cylindrical element 55 of somewhat greater circumference than the portion 52 is adapted to be telescoped over member 55 so as to clamp the open end of the filter 50 between the cage-like member 5| and the cylindrical element 55. When the parts have assumed this position the filter 50 is tautly stretched over the domed portion 53 as to efiectively filter the blood before it enters the outlet 1 passage 21.

Figures 6 and 8 illustrate the use of a tubular filter of double thickness which may sometimes be desirable. This is accomplished by suitably tying or stitching the filter as at 56 and then drawing one of the sections back upon the other to provide a double thickness of material.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and difierent embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that'all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

Apparatus for dispensing whole blood comprising a container having an open mouth, a stopper seated Within said mouth, said stopper having an opening for withdrawing the Container contents and an opening for insertion of a vent tube, a recess in the lower face of said stopper surrounding said first mentioned opening, a cylindrically shaped, extensible straining member se cured at one end to the lower face of said stopper in said recess and closed at the other end to protect said first mentioned opening from the in-:

terior of the container, means depending from said first mentioned opening in the stopper for supporting said straining member, said supporting means including a spring maintained in coiled position when the supporting means is retained in said opening but being adapted to extend when the supporting means is forced from said opening to cause the straining member to assume an extended position.

BRUNO PAGE.

REFERENCES CITED following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS N 1 in her 

